The debate between beliefs and non-beliefs has and will probably continue forever. There is duality in nature, the visible and tangible and the invisible and un-manifested energy of life, positive and negative polarity of science, yin-yang of Chinese, Ardhanarishvara (Sanskrit: अर्धनारीश्वर, form of the Hindu god Shiva and his consort Parvati. The 100% or the absolute truth is the biggest myth of this world,that is my belief, any absolute truth you find in one, cannot, ever, be applied with absolute certainty to the other.
I'm not asking you to read what I say here with blind faith, but to open yourself up to the possibilities of ‘power of meditation’ and the evidence supporting it. The secrets of this universe are something we can probably explore or research but may not understand completely EVER. Science deals with physical bodies but power of meditation extends beyond our physical bodies. There are researches that even suggest that regular meditative practice can alter bodily changes or may be slow down the aging process.
Research on the effects or the power of meditation is a growing subfield of neurological research. Modern scientific techniques and instruments, such as MRI and EEG, have been used to see what happens in the body and brain of people when they meditate regularly. Few studies, I am citing here, to support the belief in the ‘power of meditation’ but you are most welcome to give your own views.
1.
One study
by Richard Davidson. Richard J. Davidson, a professor of psychology and Psychiatry
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, for
his pioneering research in the area of meditation. He talks about how meditation can be a form of medication. Richard
Davidson’s groundbreaking work at the University of Wisconsin’s Center for
Investigating Healthy Minds, the brain research facility at the Waisman Center
where the Dalai Lama visited for its grand opening and also influenced the work
of Davidson’s friend Jonathan Patz, the Nobel Prize–winning professor and
director of the Global Health Institute at UW–Madison. After working closely
with the Dalai Lama at a May 2011 conference in India titled "Ecology,
Ethics and Interdependence," Patz and Davidson decided to produce the
upcoming "Change Your Mind Change the World" event, Neuroscientist
Richard Davidson studied the brains of meditating Buddhist monks, and now he’s
using his research with children and adolescents to look at things like ADHD,
autism and other related diseases.
2.
A
study done by Yale, Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital have shown that
meditation increases gray matter in specific regions of the brain and may slow
the deterioration of the brain as a part of the natural aging process.
3.
There
have been some preliminary studies done on some of the many types of meditation
found within the branch of Yoga known as Kundalini.
4.
Research
reviews published in 2012 reported that meditation reduces common anxiety. A
2012 meta-analysis also reported that meditation reduces negative emotions and
neuroticism, as well as assisting learning and memory and promoting
self-realization. Research reviews also suggest that Transcendental
Meditation may reduce cardiovascular disease.
5.
In
2013, the American Heart Association issued a scientific statement that
reviewed existing research of the effects of alternate treatments, including
various meditation and relaxation techniques, on hypertension, and concluded
that the overall evidence supports that meditation modestly lowers blood
pressure.
6.
An
example of a study on meditative prayer was the Bernardi study in the British
Medical Journal in 2001. The report cited that by praying the
rosary or by reciting mantras at specific rates, baroreflex sensitivity
increased significantly in cardiovascular patients.
7.
A study published in 2008, used Eysenck's
dimensional model made assessment on the mental health of high school students
based on their self-reported frequency of prayer. Among pupils attending
Catholic schools, higher levels of prayer were also associated with higher
neuroticism scores.
8.
A 2008 study by Bhutkar, et al. considered only 78
subjects, but concluded that the regular practice of Surya Namaskar, सूर्य नमस्कार, physical
exercise practiced in various styles, to a complete sadhana by Hindus, incorporates
meditation, had a positive impact on
cardio-respiratory health.
9.
Dr.
Larry Dossey claims that there will be three eras of medicine, the first
dealing with physical medicine (where patients take pills), the second
with mind-body medicine (where the body treats itself through psychosomatic
methods) and the third with eternity medicine in which patients are
affected from a distance via intercessory prayer. Dr. Larry Dossey created a
sensation in 1993 with his groundbreaking book, Healing Words, in which he
presented solid scientific evidence that prayer can figure prominently in
healing illness.
10.
Epigenetic
Medicine is a new form of therapy destined to upend many of the certainties of
today's medical and psychological practice. Epigenetic medicine shows that
genes are activated or deactivated by many factors originating outside the cell
and even outside the human body. The factors influencing include childhood nurturing,
belief, spirituality, prayer, visualization, and the quality of our social
network. The most cutting-edge scientific research shows that intention literally
affects the conformation of the DNA molecule.
11.
Dr.
James Austin, a neurophysiologist at the University of Colorado, reported that meditation
"rewires the circuitry" of the brain in his book Zen and the Brain
(Austin, 1999).
I
am giving few internet links, below, for your personal readings and I invite
you all to share your beliefs or non-beliefs.
Comments
Post a Comment